Seven Years Ago
by InMyOwnWay
Summary: BA friendship.


Thank you so much for everyone who has been reveiwing my stuff.. I love reveiws!! They make me happy!

Seven years ago, Alex's life had been different. She was married and happy and trying to get pregnant. Her husband was everything; had been since she had met him ten years before. Seven years ago, she shaved her legs everyday and had sex at least three times a week and her future was a certainty. Joe, a baby, and her career. That was her certainty.

Until one day, seven years ago, Deakins called she and her partner at the time, Kent Matthews, away from a crime scene. And she had walked in to his office; sure he was pissed at her about that misfiled paperwork, but instead finding a shaken captain. A captain who had sat her down and crushed her certainty.

Seven years ago, Alex had worn her dress blues to the funeral and snapped at her mother for suggesting she wear anything else. And she slept in her pink canopy bed in her pink childhood bedroom for one week before going home to her apartment. She and Joe's apartment. That first night back she had gotten drunk off some nasty scotch she found in Joe's underwear drawer and fell asleep on the hallway floor.

Seven years ago, she showed up at 1PP exactly two weeks after her certainty was crushed. Deakins objected; she insisted. Her partner had retired in that two week lapse and his replacement sat in Matthew's chair, doing desk work. Alex introduced herself and shook his hand and went back to work as if she still had her certainty.

Seven years later and she's a different person now. She's more sure of herself, of her work, of her skill. Her certainty is about other things now. She's content, even happy. This future is different than anything she ever imagined. No Joe, no baby. Just her career. And Bobby.

Seven years later, that day began like normal. She made it out of the house on time and traffic wasn't too bad. The morning was cool and the sky was gray. Bobby was already working in a conference room when she reached the eleventh floor. She spent the morning sorting pictures and reading testimony and formulizing theories with her partner. She didn't even realize what day it was until she saw the phone number flash onto her cell phone. Her in-laws phone number.

It all came back in a flash and she realized that the gray sky outside had been ushering in a November morning. November 23. Seven years. And Alex hadn't remembered that today was the day, seven years ago, that her world had collapsed. Her certainty had been crushed.

Her body hadn't ached with loss when she awoke that morning. Her heart wasn't heavy. Had last year been the same? She couldn't remember. Instead, when she awoke this morning, her thoughts had been of her current case and of Bobby. She had wondered if Bobby had gotten any sleep. He was in this perp's head. He was living and breathing this investigation.

She walks away from Bobby and answers the call and makes small talk with her in-laws. Joe's sister is having her new baby christened on Sunday and there is a dinner afterwards. Would Alex like to come? She agrees, cringing as she does. Joe's family was once her family, seven years ago, and 'of course she'll come', she hears herself saying. When she returns to Bobby, he is looking at her curiously.

"Something about the case?" he inquires.

She shakes her head 'no' and wonders if Bobby realizes that it's the day.

He insists on dinner and drinks out and she realizes that of course he knows. He buys her dinner at her favorite restaurant and walks her to her door and pecks her cheek sweetly. She smiles to herself.

"Thank you Bobby. Thanks for being so sweet today."

His hands are in his coat pockets and he's staring shyly at his shoes. He shrugs and is about to walk away when Alex says, "I forgot." Bobby looks up.

Alex continues, "I forgot that today was the day. I… forgot until his parents called this afternoon."

Bobby closes his eyes and doesn't say anything.

"What do you think that means? That I forgot?"

Bobby shakes his head softly, "I don't know Alex."

She nodes and smiles before saying, "Anyway, thanks for being so sweet today." He walks away and she is left in her doorway, watching him go. Her life is different now and that is the only explanation she has.


End file.
